Fun Facts About the Name Bryson
- A favorite of earlier generations: Bryson appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 2 separate runs, totaling 5 years. Its last run lasted 3 consecutive years, from 2016 through 2018.
- More than 83 thousand babies named Bryson: U.S. records list 83,485 babies given the name Bryson from 1880 through 2025. Even 279 girls received the name Bryson - about 1 girl for every 298 boys.
What Does the Name Bryson Mean?
Bryson is an English and Scottish patronymic surname used as a given name, and it means "son of Brice." The second element is the suffix -son, from Old English sunu ("son"), a pattern found throughout England but especially common in northern England and Scotland. The first element is the medieval personal name Brice, also spelled Bryce, which is the English form of the Latin name Brictius.
Brictius was the name of a fifth-century bishop of Tours, venerated as Saint Brice, and the name spread in medieval France, Normandy, and England through his cult. The ultimate origin of Brictius is uncertain; it is often described as a Latinized Gaulish name, but no Gaulish source word is securely identified. The established meaning of Bryson is therefore the patronymic "son of Brice," a statement about descent rather than a translation of Brictius itself.
The Bry- opening is not evidence of a connection to the Welsh name Bryn or to other similar-looking names; the resemblance is coincidental.
Bryson Name History & Origins
The personal name Brice entered England with the Normans, whose Old French form was Brice, from Latin Brictius. Devotion to Saint Brice, the fifth-century bishop of Tours, was established in medieval France and Normandy, and the name is found in England after the Norman Conquest. Bryce is a related English spelling of the same personal name.
Patronymic surnames formed with -son were characteristic of northern England and Scotland, where Scandinavian settlement reinforced a pattern already present in Old English. Bryson is recorded as a hereditary surname in those regions, meaning "son of Brice" or "son of Bryce."
Its use as a first name belongs to the wider English-language practice of adopting surnames as given names, a practice that became common in the United States and other English-speaking countries. Bryson is a comparatively recent given name in that tradition, while the related name Bryce has a longer separate history of use as a personal name, particularly in Scotland.
How Popular is the Name Bryson?
Bryson recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2017. Bryson ranked among the top 100 U.S. names from 2011 through 2012, then returned in 2016 and remained through 2018.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | #13,906 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #12,441 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #13,757 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #9,231 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2018 | #9,278 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #11,846 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #13,149 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #11,060 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2014 | #9,663 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2013 | #13,432 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2012 | #12,424 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #9,844 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2010 | #7,961 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2009 | #12,646 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #18,023 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #8,603 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2006 | #11,611 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2005 | #14,814 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #6,838 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2003 | #9,798 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #9,610 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #8,281 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #9,278 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1999 | #6,887 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1998 | #8,089 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #8,446 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1996 | #12,070 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #8,170 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1994 | #13,747 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #10,619 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #152 | 2,416 | 0.1414% |
| 2024 | #147 | 2,469 | 0.1439% |
| 2023 | #150 | 2,444 | 0.1430% |
| 2022 | #137 | 2,705 | 0.1551% |
| 2021 | #122 | 3,096 | 0.1771% |
| 2020 | #115 | 3,217 | 0.1865% |
| 2019 | #102 | 3,633 | 0.2026% |
| 2018 | #92 | 4,223 | 0.2326% |
| 2017 | #86 | 4,677 | 0.2528% |
| 2016 | #94 | 4,372 | 0.2304% |
| 2015 | #133 | 3,115 | 0.1626% |
| 2014 | #117 | 3,425 | 0.1783% |
| 2013 | #102 | 3,816 | 0.2018% |
| 2012 | #94 | 4,041 | 0.2131% |
| 2011 | #97 | 3,943 | 0.2076% |
| 2010 | #120 | 3,392 | 0.1768% |
| 2009 | #152 | 2,611 | 0.1316% |
| 2008 | #178 | 2,231 | 0.1094% |
| 2007 | #179 | 2,323 | 0.1119% |
| 2006 | #176 | 2,315 | 0.1126% |
| 2005 | #195 | 1,980 | 0.0991% |
| 2004 | #200 | 1,916 | 0.0965% |
| 2003 | #214 | 1,658 | 0.0839% |
| 2002 | #229 | 1,471 | 0.0758% |
| 2001 | #246 | 1,356 | 0.0698% |
| 2000 | #269 | 1,206 | 0.0614% |
| 1999 | #277 | 1,066 | 0.0555% |
| 1998 | #321 | 860 | 0.0450% |
| 1997 | #345 | 741 | 0.0393% |
| 1996 | #353 | 689 | 0.0364% |
| 1995 | #418 | 543 | 0.0285% |
| 1994 | #468 | 467 | 0.0242% |
| 1993 | #475 | 443 | 0.0226% |
| 1992 | #510 | 394 | 0.0197% |
| 1991 | #506 | 383 | 0.0190% |
| 1990 | #552 | 333 | 0.0162% |
| 1989 | #531 | 327 | 0.0163% |
| 1988 | #518 | 312 | 0.0163% |
| 1987 | #566 | 256 | 0.0137% |
| 1986 | #548 | 262 | 0.0142% |
| 1985 | #605 | 209 | 0.0113% |
| 1984 | #611 | 194 | 0.0107% |
| 1983 | #637 | 180 | 0.0100% |
| 1982 | #650 | 178 | 0.0098% |
| 1981 | #747 | 136 | 0.0076% |
| 1980 | #752 | 136 | 0.0076% |
| 1979 | #838 | 107 | 0.0062% |
| 1978 | #1,112 | 62 | 0.0038% |
| 1977 | #1,199 | 54 | 0.0033% |
| 1976 | #1,377 | 42 | 0.0027% |
| 1975 | #1,159 | 53 | 0.0034% |
| 1974 | #1,217 | 47 | 0.0030% |
| 1973 | #1,437 | 35 | 0.0022% |
| 1972 | #1,775 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 1971 | #1,789 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1970 | #2,068 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1969 | #2,057 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1968 | #1,845 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1967 | #2,488 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1966 | #1,899 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1965 | #3,012 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1964 | #1,978 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1963 | #1,972 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1962 | #2,205 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1961 | #2,733 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1960 | #2,897 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1959 | #2,845 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1958 | #2,662 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1957 | #2,385 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1956 | #2,646 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1955 | #1,852 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1954 | #2,325 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1953 | #2,934 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1952 | #3,132 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1951 | #2,517 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1950 | #2,124 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1949 | #1,875 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1948 | #2,339 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1947 | #2,084 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1946 | #2,724 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1945 | #2,415 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1944 | #2,206 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1943 | #1,776 | 17 | 0.0012% |
| 1942 | #2,964 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1941 | #2,219 | 11 | 0.0009% |
| 1940 | #2,691 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1939 | #2,632 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1938 | #2,673 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1937 | #2,342 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1936 | #2,476 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1934 | #2,584 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1933 | #2,565 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1932 | #3,123 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1931 | #2,679 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1930 | #1,896 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1929 | #4,036 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1928 | #2,408 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1927 | #2,544 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1926 | #2,314 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1925 | #3,793 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1924 | #3,048 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1923 | #2,348 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1922 | #3,573 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1921 | #2,829 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1920 | #2,796 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1918 | #3,139 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1917 | #3,261 | 7 | 0.0008% |
| 1916 | #2,959 | 8 | 0.0009% |
| 1915 | #3,129 | 7 | 0.0008% |
| 1914 | #2,965 | 6 | 0.0009% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Bryson
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
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How the Name Bryson Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You are inventive, intuitive and extremely methodical. Since your will is so strong, you are hard to convince. You also dislike advice. You love beauty and philosophy, and you desire achievement. You have a strong need for freedom - physical, mental and spiritual.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Bryson's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Bryson's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.